Aquarium of Niagara hopeful of $1.75M grant

With fingers crossed, Aquarium of Niagara officials are holding their collective breath in anticipation of a vote by the New York Power Authority board on a $1.75 million grant.

The grant, which represents part of the proceeds from the power authority in Lewiston, would allow the aquarium to begin phase one of a $5 million renovation and expansion, including a new penguin exhibit.

“The funding for this proposal will give us the opportunity to go to other funders and other corporations, to reach out and have the region support us. It’s the first time in 48 years we will be doing anything like this,” said Gay Molnar, executive director. “It’s our time.”

The grant is among more than half a dozen recommended by the Western New York Power Proceeds Allocation Board, but requires approval by the NYPA board.

Phase one of the six-part master plan calls for interior renovations at the Niagara Falls site, including building an expanded space for its Peruvian penguins and moving some other exhibits. Future phases call for additions and expansions to the exterior of the facility.

In recommending the project for funding, the local allocations board cited the project’s proximity to the Niagara Falls State Park, which is undergoing upgrades of its own, capitalizing on the opportunity to give millions of visitors to the Falls another reason to extend their stay.

The Western New York Economic Development Fund funds economic development projects by applicants located in New York within a 30-mile radius of the NYPA Niagara project in Lewiston.

Molnar said the facility also is a major attraction for locals, who have been the major sustainers of the facility over the past 48 years.

The nonprofit organization relies almost entirely on earned income for its $1.6 million operating budget, with just $57,000 coming in government funding through the Zoos, Botanical Gardens and Aquarium Program (ZBGA), a program of the Natural Heritage Trust managed in New York by the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

“Niagara County is completely different than Erie County: We do not get assistance from the county or the city, but we are reaching out now to the City of Niagara Falls and we are going to reach out to the county and a lot of different entities in the entire region and Southern Ontario,” she said.

Molnar said the organization hopes to have at least a portion of its renovation completed prior to its 50th anniversary in two years.